Bridle-bit.



L. Y. JANES.

BRIDLE BIT.

APPLICATION IILBD APE. 1, 1910.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

Waste.

LYELL Y. JANES, 0F TULAROSA, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

BRIDLE-BIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYELL Y. Janus, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tularosa, in the county of Otero and Territory of New Mexico, have invented a new and useful Bridle-Bit, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a driving bit so constructed that, when there is but a light pull upon the bit, the same will press gently and without pain, against the mouth of the draft animal; the construction being such, however, that when a strong pull is brought to bear upon the bit, the same will position itself in such a. way as to bear with greater effect upon the mouth of the animal.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the bit of my invention mounted in place upon the head of a draft animal; the view showing the position which the bit will assume when the draft animal is traveling under loose, or slightly tightened reins; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device showing the position which the same will assume under a maximum pull upon the reins; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, one of the cheek pieces being turned slightly about, so that the details thereof may more clearly appear; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the mouth bar, on line 44 of Fig. 3.

The cheek pieces are identical in construction. They embody an upper curved portion 1 and a lower curved portion 2. At the rear of the bit, the portions 1 and 2 are connected by a straight part 4. At the front of the bit, the portions 1 and 2 are connected by straight parts 3 and 11, the part 11 standing out a slight distance beyond the part 3, and curving rearwardly atits upper end, into union with the said part An eye 5 is formed in the part 3, adapted to receive an overdra-w check, in case one should be used. In the upper curved portion 1, there is a shoulder 6, and adjacent this shoulder, extending forwardly, within the contour of the cheek piece is a finger 7. The head stall is adapted to be engaged about the part 1, to fit against the shoulder 6, between the said part 1 and the finger 7.

The parts 3, 11 and 4 are substantially parallel to each other, and a transverse rod 8, disposed substantially at right angles to the said parts, connects the intermediate portion of the part 4 with the parts 8 and 11 adjacent the point of union between the said parts An arcuate arm 9 joins the intermediate portion of the transverse rod 8 with the part 4, adjacent the point of union between the parts 4 and 1. An upright 10, substantially parallel to the parts 4 and 3, joins the intermediate portion of the transverse rod 8 with the curved portion 1.

The mouth bar 19 is provided at its ends with heads 12 of any desired construction, the said heads being slidably mounted upon theuprights 10 of the cheek pieces. Broadly speaking, the mouth bar 19 is triangular in transverse section. It comprises a flat rear face 14 and a flat forward face 15 which, as they extend upwardly diverge from each other. These faces 14 and 15 are connected by an upper edge face 16 and by a lower edge face 17. The faces 16 and 17 are curved and convexed away from each other, the radius of curvature of the edge face 17 being less than the radius of curvature of the edge face 16. The lower edge face 17 is serrated as shown at 18.

hen desired, the driving reins may be mounted in the eye formed by the portions 4, 9 and 8. Preferably, however, the driving reins are mounted to slide upon the lower curved portions 2 of the cheek pieces, as seen most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

\Vhen a draft animal which is readily susceptible to the curbing action of the bit, is being driven, the device will position itself as shown in Fig. 1. In such instance, the flat rear face 14 of the mouth bar 19 will be drawn against the mouth of the animal, the mouth bar exerting a. mild pressure. How ever, when a strong pull is exerted upon the reins, the heads 12 of the mouth bar 19 will, in the first instance, slide upwardly along the uprights 10. This will serve to increase the pressure upon the mouth of the animal, and to increase the curbing action of the bit. If the pull upon the reins is increased still further, the reins will slide along the portions 2 of the check pieces, from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2.

As the mouth bar is tilted from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, the flat rear face 14 of the mouth bar will Patented Oct. 18, 1910;

be turned toward the roof of the mouth of the draft animal, the serrated lower edge face 17 of the bit being presented rear- Wardly, the bit thus moving into a position in which it will exercise a full and greatly increased curbing action.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device is so constructed that it may be used upon draft animals having tender mouths without irritating them in any way; but, should the animal suddenly become fractious, the bit may readily be positioned to exercise its maximum efficiency as a curbing element. The bit is therefore so constructed that the driver may, with a single structure, control humanely,a tender mouthed animal, or readily saw down the most 0bstreperous one.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is r In a bit, a mouth bar having fiat diverging side faces connected by curved upper and lower edge faces, the lower of which edge faces is serrated; and cheek pieces slidably mounted in the mouth bar; the cheek pieces having downwardly and for wardly curved rein receiving elements, along which the reins, when pulled upon, are adapted to slide.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LYELL Y. .TANES. lVitnesses ELI KNIGHT, JAMES lV. PRUDE. 

